Selection & Outreach Associate

Job Title: Selection & Outreach Associate

Location: Hybrid role based either in the Oxford area or East Africa. The post-holder will be required to travel to East Africa for the annual Selection weekend in November (reasonable travel expenses will be covered by the Trust)

Contract: 1-year fixed term in the first instance

Hours: Part time, minimum 2 days per week

Salary: Salary is dependent on experience and location

Reports to: The National Secretary for East Africa and the Head of Selection & Outreach

The role

The mission of the Rhodes Trust is to identify and develop remarkable young people in a supportive and nurturing environment; to bring leaders together from our East Africa constituency - Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi - and beyond; and to actively support lifelong fellowship and learning.

The Selection & Outreach Associate reports directly to the National Secretary for East Africa, and works in close coordination with Rhodes House staff especially in the Selection & Outreach Team. We are seeking an enthusiastic, highly-organised, individual with excellent IT skills and a deep connection to and knowledge of Eastern African communities to provide comprehensive administrative and logistical support for the Rhodes Scholarships in East Africa (see the person specification for more details). The role is open to candidates who are either located in the Oxford area/have the ability to work partly from Rhodes House in Oxford or are resident in the East Africa region.

Some of the key responsibilities for the role include:

Managing the National Secretariat: supporting the National Secretary to implement the strategic direction of the Rhodes Trust, and effectively coordinate the operations and logistics of the National Secretariat (NS) in East Africa, providing support on selection, general administration, and implementation of systems and processes.

Selection: Working with the National Secretary (and Deputy as appropriate) to make the necessary arrangements for the annual selection of Scholars in East Africa, particularly leading the logistical planning for the selection sessions (e.g. sourcing suitable venues, menus for dinners, payments to service providers, flights, transfers and accommodation bookings for selectors and shortlisted candidates), providing administrative assistance as required for selection events, managing applications through the application system, and communicating key selection information with the Selection & Outreach team at Rhodes House.

Scholar Affairs:Together with the National Secretary, assisting the Registrar and her team, as required, and the Scholars-elect as they apply for courses and colleges at Oxford University and providing assistance to Scholars-elect with visa applications; process refunds for visa-related, health insurance and language assessment costs; assist with transfers and flight bookings.

Outreach: Together with the team at Rhodes House and the National Secretary (and Deputy Secretary as appropriate), design and implement the annual outreach programme in the constituency, as well as building networks with key staff members at universities and other organisations in the region, that will facilitate the applications of high potential, talented young graduates from diverse backgrounds for Rhodes Scholarships

Please see the job description for the full list of role responsibilities.

Essential skills, experience and qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• Significant connection/experience with the East Africa region, either through educational background or professional experience.
• Experience in education and/or business administration.
• Excellent organisational skills and effective office management skills.
• Proven experience of budget planning, management and reporting.
• Ability to manage a varied workload and coordinate a range of tasks and activities, and to prioritise a range of tasks effectively to consistently meet deadlines.
• Experience of working within a complex organisation, with demonstrable experience of managing change in a complex, evolving environment.
• Exceptional communication skills, with an excellent command of the English language both orally and in writing.
• Proficient user of IT, including MS skills, Dropbox/Google Drive, and Zoom.
• Role modelling the Trust’s organisational values of commitment, inclusion, belonging, growth and innovation.
• Carrying out any other duties relevant to the role, as requested.
• A deep commitment to the values, ethos and mission of the Rhodes Trust.

Desirable skills and experience:

• Experience working in a further/higher education (or charity) setting.
• Experience of using database and content management systems.

Benefits of working here (Oxford based staff)

• 30 days annual leave (pro rata) plus 8 bank holidays
• Competitive pension scheme
• Generous family leave schemes
• Private health insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Personal development opportunities
• Additional benefits, such as free access to the University's gardens, parks, libraries and museums, and University staff discounts in shops across Oxford.
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric car scheme

If you would like to find out more, please click 'apply’ to view the full job description and to find the link to apply. Please send us your CV and a covering letter. Please note, this advert will close on 10 May 2024 at 17:00 BST.

You must be eligible to work in the UK if you will be working in Oxford.

The Rhodes Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We warmly welcome applications from talented people of diverse backgrounds and appoint without regard to age, disability, gender, gender identity, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, parental status, marital or civil partner status, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, religion or belief.